New snails and seedlings cropping up at Echo Park Lake

A Sunday visit to Echo Park Lake turned up signs of new life. Long-time park visitor Darrell Kunitomi snapped some photos of those new Apple Snails that began appearing in the water a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, on dry land, the newly reseeded sections of lawns have begun to sprout.

The snails, which are considered an invasive species in some areas, appear to be thriving in the water while those seedlings seem to be having a tougher time in spots, Kunitomi said. “New lawn plantings are sprouting, but people are walking all over the beds, including families letting kids run rampant in taped-off zones,” he said. “C’mon people.”

With the exception of a fast-moving pedal boat, the Apple Snails don’t seem to have worry about any threats for now. “I broke off lots of egg masses to see if mosquito fish would attack, and they really didn’t show much interest,” Kunitomi said.